The Digital programs at Hostos provide an extraordinary opportunity for students with artistic talent and an interest in modern media to explore graphic design, animation, audio recording, motion graphics, web design, video production, photography, and more.

2017 Spring Scramble Official Rules and Dates

Can you smell that sweet spring air??? I think we all know what that means… it means that the 2017 SPRING SCRAMBLE GAME COMPETITION IS UPON US! By now, all team registration and assignments have been made, so you should be in contact with your team, brainstorming, conceptualizing, prototyping, etc. This year’s theme is RESISTANCE. Your game should be themed around whatever resistance means to your team. Resistance goes beyond politics and can mean many different things, so feel free to stretch the definition!

If you haven’t yet filled out the Game Design Survey, please do so. We need your input to make our program and community the best it can possibly be! It only takes 5 minutes and makes a huge difference, so help us build an even more awesome community.

Teams will create pitches in the form of 2-minute long videos. Videos must include examples of early functional prototypes, concept art and sketches. Each team member must be present in the video pitch. Videos should be similar in style and content to Kickstarter project videos. For a guide outlining what to include, see this link.

Tip: Find successfully backed games on Kickstarter to help model your video. Here’s one example. Here’s another one.
Tip: Check out the Vimeo channel from last year’s competition to see which teams nailed the pitch, moving onto Round 2 ( Robert Rogers, Galactic Enforcers, Time Shift, Skate n Bake, The Big Picture, and Dimensional Wars )

Once your team’s completed video is uploaded to Vimeo, complete the Pitch Submission Form, detailing your team members, game title, description, etc. Vimeo links will then be compounded into a channel that will serve as an archive of the competition for easy public viewership and access by the judges.

Internal judges will then pick the 6 most promising games to move on to the second round. These will be announced within the following week.

ROUND 2: Public Presentation and Play SessionApril 22nd, 2017

Games that are approved to move on to the next stage will have roughly 1 month to complete their games. These 4 weeks will culminate in a huge presentation and play session on Saturday, April 22nd, which will be open to the public, in which external judges composed of alumni and NYC games industry representatives will evaluate each of the games to declare a winner.

Games will be judged upon the following criteria (subject to change):

Completeness & Polish

Engagement (fun)

Originality

Communication/Presentation

The winning team will be awarded a FIVE-HUNDRED-DOLLAR ($500) prize to support the continued development of their game.

FAQ::

Q.What are the deadlines for the Spring Scramble?A. The 2017 Hostos Spring Scramble Game Competition will have the following deadlines:

Sunday, March 19th at 11:59PM – Pitch videos due for each team (changed from the previously announced 3/16/17)

The Week of March 20th – Game Competition S17 Finalists announced (tentative)

Q. Am I required to submit a pitch?A. Did you successfully complete GD101? Are you actively enrolled this semester? If so, yes!

Q. I’ve passed GD101 and am actively enrolled this semester. What is my commitment for the competition?A. You must work with your team on the video pitch to be submitted by March 19th. This may include coming up with concept art and prototypes, depending on what your team wants for the video, but you are not required to complete the game.

Q. Does the game really have to be about resistance?A. Resistance can mean whatever you want it to mean. This is a loose topic intended to help guide and craft your ideas.

Q. What happens if I’m required to participate and don’t work with my team on a concept and pitch video?A. You may be placed on program probation, which could lead to getting kicked out of the program. Yikes!